I Survived Homophobia But It Changed Me
In this video, I talk about growing up gay and Arab, learning to change myself to survive homophobia, and questioning how much of my masculinity and identity came from who I really am versus what made me feel safe. We’ll chat about internalized homophobia, religion, conformity, racism, scapegoating, and why trans people and other minorities so often become targets when society is afraid or unstable. I also look at how social media amplifies fear, turns our identities against each other, and can make hate feel bigger and more normal than it really is.
But this is also a video about finding hope in the middle of that darkness, understanding what shaped us, choosing what we want to keep, and refusing to let fear decide who we become.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Feeling Unsafe and Surviving Homophobia
0:51 Masculinity & Internalized Homophobia
1:37 What is Normal "Gays" supposed to mean?
2:37 Religion, Desire & the Closet
4:16 Why They Scapegoat People Who Are Different
5:30 How Social Media Amplifi
